The present invention relates to pouring devices for containers and more specifically to spout attachments for liquid carrying containers which have an automatic opening feature through use of a spiraling cam depending from the cap and acting directly upon the fitment.
Pouring spout attachments have been used for cartons and particularly for liquid carrying containers. These attachments are typically mounted on the outside of cartons surfaces or have flanges which are secured on the interior surface of the carton and extend outward through an opening in the container sidewall. Several prior art patents disclose utilization of a pull tab for opening of this container spout. There are also push in tabs for weakened panel zones within the spouts for opening the container. Such spouts are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,101,999 and 4,934,590.
Other patents are known such that the push-in aspect of the spout for opening of the container has a latch feature such that the push-in flap for the spout remains in the open position. Such a disclosure is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,833,112. A drawback to these prior art spouts is that they require user intervention for actual opening of the container separate and apart for opening the spout itself, traditionally through either a standard threaded closure or a snap on cover.
Other prior art which automatically punctures or opens the container upon removal of the cap is found in the prior art. These structures however suffer from a drawback in that they require serrated or rough edges to puncture the container wall thereby possibly causing shards to appear in the contents within the container. Such a disclosure is contained within U.S. Pat. No. 5,960,992.
Additional prior art spout fitments incorporate a third insert or blade which is acted upon by an extension of the cap. Inclusion of separate elements which are not integral with the fitment and which require assembly within the design increases the overall costs of production and assembly. Further, tolerance issues between the non-integral pieces may prevent the fitment from acting properly to open the container.
There does not exist in the prior art references an economical and easy to use automatic opening pour spout which attaches to a container such that the user, upon unthreading of the closure, causes the opening of the container without ragged tearing of the container side wall or creating chaff.
A general object of the present invention is to provide an automatically opening pour spout fitment wherein the user, upon unthreading of the closure, causes the fitment to puncture the container and allow the contents to be readily poured therefrom.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a pour spout fitment wherein user intervention is not required to puncture the container sidewall.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide an automatically opening fitment wherein the auto opening feature provides downward force in a direction which is parallel to the bore of the spout of the fitment.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic opening pour spout fitment wherein the puncturing apparatus does not cause tearing of the carton sidewall or generate foreign material within the container
A further object of the present invention is to provide an easy opening fitment wherein even rotational pressure is required to open the container through use of the auto opening feature of the fitment.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a pour spout fitment wherein the rotational movement of the closure on the pour spout is converted to vertical pressure on the container to adequately open the container and fitment. It is further desirous to have the pour spout fitment remain in the open position once opened by the user.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a pouring spout fitment wherein the closure on the pour spout is threadably attached to the spout of the fitment and wherein the closure has a tamper indicating band or other frangibly attached indicator to indicate prior opening of the spout. Further, upon opening of the closure by the user, the tamper indicating band is fractured from the closure and the fitment pierces the container and opens it for dispensing of the contents.
These and other objects heretofor stated are met by the automatically opening pour spout fitment of the present invention. The pour spout fitment of the present invention contains a spiral cam depending from the top wall of the closure which engages a cam follower on the hinged flap of the fitment. Upon rotation of the closure, the cam causes even pressure to be applied to the cam follower thereby applying vertical downward pressure on the flap and piercing of the container for opening thereof.
All of the above outlined objectives are met by the automatically opening pour spout fitment of the present invention described herein.